Amber and Bethany go to court.
Today's HF: NB episode focuses on the courtroom fight between Bethany and Amber; also Joliette Manning; Serena Gerber; Courtney Harrison and Anyssa have a rare girls day lunch and they learn all about Anyssa's connections with Susie. This and more on today's episode of Harpers Falls: New Beginnings. Scene One Top of the Hub, one of the best restaurants in Boston, located at the top of The Prudential building in the Back Bay. Anyssa is at the front, talking with the Maitre' d. ANYSSA: I have a reservation for four, under the name of Forson. MAITRE'D: Yes, I see it here, Mrs. Forson. Follow me, your guests will be sent to your table when they arrive. ANYSSA: Thank you. (Anyssa sits down, and just as she does, Courtney Harrison arrives.) MAITRE'D: Your friend is waiting for you, Ms. Harrison. COURTNEY: Thank you. Hey, Nyssa. ANYSSA: Hi, Court. Where's the others? COURTNEY: Joliette is on her way; and Serena is not far too. (Enter Joliette and Serena. Maitre'd sends them to Anyssa's table) SERENA: Sorry I was running late, Mom had a question about some of the charity plans. ANYSSA: That is good. Ready to order? JOLIETTE: I am starving. (The four girls are looking over the menu) Scene Two Dylan's townhouse. Dylan is on the phone with Ellen Lucas, his old friend, Susannah's daughter. ELLEN: Dylan, it's great that you are back in Boston. I am sorry to hear about your mom, and Alex. How have you been? DYLAN: It's been hard, I would be lying if I said it wasn't hard. Some days are harder than others. Today's not been so bad. ELLEN: Mom and I are thinking of you. DYLAN: Thanks, Ellen, and you tell your mom that for me too. We saw the bouquet that you and Susie sent, I so appreciate that. ELLEN: Who is Adam? DYLAN: Adam is a friend of the family. He's been in mourning as well. he lost his partner, his mother and his adopted daughter. ELLEN: I had heard about that, when Amy called me and Mom. I am sorry that happened. DYLAN: We've been doing well together. We're helping one another. ELLEN: That is good. I hope it looks up for you two soon. DYLAN: Thanks, Ellen. ELLEN: I have to go, I have things to do, but you call me if you need me or Mom, ok? DYLAN: I will, thanks, Ellen. ELLEN: See you. (Dylan ends the call, Adam comes in.) ADAM: Hey, who was that? DYLAN: That was Ellen Lucas. ADAM: Who is she? DYLAN: Susie's daughter. ADAM: Oh, yes, I remember now. Anyssa's friend's adopted daughter, right? DYLAN: The very same. ADAM: Sounds like a great family. DYLAN: They may come for Thanksgiving, although I am not sure about that, as of yet. ADAM: Have you thought about if they are coming? DYLAN: If anything, Anyssa would probably figure that out, although, I am thinking she might be doing something in Somerset. I can't really say, but I will ask her. ADAM: That is great, thanks, Dyl. DYLAN: Not a problem, honey. Not a problem. (Dylan and Adam hug one another.) Scene Three Suffolk County Courthouse. Bethany Arthur and Amber Wellston are in court. Amber is on crutches. Bethany is smirking. Violette, who is on Amber's side of the room, glares at their nemesis. JUDGE FITZSIMMONS: Why are we here? BETHANY: I want this snob put in her place! JUDGE: What did she do? BETHANY: She tried to kill me! JUDGE: How? BETHANY: By trying to have me run over by a bus! JUDGE: Not from the evidence I see. BETHANY: You are out of your mind! I was.....uh....thrown under the bus, yes! That's it! She threw me under the bus! JUDGE (ignoring bethany's snide comment): May I see your medical bills? BETHANY (stunned): What medical bills? JUDGE: The medical bills for your alleged injuries. BETHANY: Why should I have brought those?! Isn't my word enough?! JUDGE: Not in a court of law! Now, Ms. Wellston, do you have any evidence to sustain your injuries? AMBER (calmer): Yes, I do. My family has my medical bills. JUDGE: Let me see them please. (Amber's mother hands the bills to the bailiff who hands them to Judge Fitzsimmons) BETHANY: How can you.....She had them made up!!!! JUDGE: Be quiet, Ms. Arthur! BETHANY: But she.....! JUDGE: Be quiet or I will dismiss this case for contempt! (Bethany, burning with rage, is silent) AMBER: The pictures show the extent of the injuries. JUDGE: I see, who took these pictures? AMBER: My friend, Gisele Franklin. JUDGE: I see the extent of the injuries; and I will be back with my decision. (The judge leaves, and Bethany sneers at Amber. Violette glares at her.) VIOLETTE: I would not advise counting your chickens before they're hatched, Bethany! BETHANY: Shut up, loser! VIOLETTE: Don't be so sure. The judge saw the injuries, Amber walking on crutches is not faked! BETHANY: Oh, go to hell! VIOLETTE: Not while you are queen of hell! (Violette glares at Bethany.) Scene Four Top of the Hub. Anyssa and her friends are eating salads in preparation for their lunch. COURTNEY: I've heard so much about Susannah, but I wonder if she would ever come and visit here? ANYSSA: I am sure she would. She's been here before. I asked her about coming for Thanksgiving. JOLIETTE: How did you two ever meet in the first place? ANYSSA: My parents were close friends with her parents. My dad and Sam Lucas were old friends and law school classmates. Dad was more into estate law, and Sam was more into general practice. Dad, Ben Grant and Sam were all in a law practice together. When I was a child, my parents were killed in a car accident. When I was five, Sam and Lahoma took me in, and that was how Susie and I bonded. SERENA: I've heard you two have been close for a long time. ANYSSA: She was the sister I had never had. I went to elementary school with her, and we did a lot of things together. She and her family took me to rodeos when I lived there. JOLIETTE: You're kidding me, you were in a rodeo? ANYSSA: Little britches rodeos. Susie and I went to our first rodeo when I was seven. We were dressed in these atrocious little western dresses! I swear, we looked horrid! SERENA: Do you have pics? ANYSSA: Right here. I had them printed. (Anyssa passes the picture that she showed Bryan to her friends) JOLIETTE: My goodness! Who'd have thought? SERENA: You were so pretty. COURTNEY: Hard to imagine that you looked like the little cowgirl in this pic. You've become so elegant. ANYSSA: My rodeo skills atrophied after I moved back to Chicago for boarding school. SERENA: Who paid for your schooling? ANYSSA: Aunt Velda did. JOLIETTE: You mean, the Harpers' social secretary is your AUNT? (Enter Velda) VELDA: Yes, my dear. I paid for Anyssa's schooling all her years in boarding school. Am I late, darling? ANYSSA: No, Aunt Vel. You're always on time. (Anyssa and Velda hug one another) Scene Five The Herington Home in the city of Smythewood, Pennsylvania. After a few months, Anthony Herington and his wife, Anna Jayne is packing their homes while the movers are moving their furniture to an outside moving van. ANTHONY: Well, are you ready to move on, AJ? ANNA JAYNE: I am indeed, Antoine. ANTHONY: You've called me Antoine ever since we were married. ANNA JAYNE: Just like you call me AJ. Only you've ever called me that. Not even Scott and Carla have called me that. ANTHONY: Did you talk to them? ANNA JAYNE: Yes, I did. Did you call your mom? ANTHONY: Yes, I did. Chip is all right, he wishes us well. ANNA JAYNE: I hope he doesn't resent us moving to Boston. ANTHONY: No, he doesn't. He and I talked when we had decided about the move. He will visit, but he loves being in the Lehigh Valley, and he loves living with Mom and Aunt Nancy. He is taking a big hand in the family company, and Mom said they would come up about Thanksgiving and see us there. ANNA JAYNE: That is good. I miss Chip. ANTHONY: I told him that our house will have a good size room for him. ANNA JAYNE: He is adopted but I miss him like I would miss my own blood son. ANTHONY: That is what makes a good mother, AJ. ANNA JAYNE: Oh, Antoine, how I do love you. ANTHONY: And I love you too, darling. Ready to begin our making of new memories? ANNA JAYNE: Ready as I will ever be. (Anthony and Anna Jayne get into their car, and they go down 4th Street down to the Interstate to head to their new home in Boston) Scene Six The Top of the Hub. ANYSSA: When you first met me, Court, you knew I felt awful, still being away from Chicago, and after losing Chas, and also missing Susie. COURTNEY: Yes, I know you were very upset. You really missed them, didn't you? VELDA: I made sure that she could talk to them all the time. ANYSSA: Yes, you did. And I am grateful for that. SERENA: Wow, you and Susie have been friends for most of your lives. ANYSSA: When I chose college, I thought about Northwestern, since my dad had gone there. It was there that I reconnected with Susie. She was going there for pre-law; as did Bryan and I. Patrick, our other friend, went into pre-med. His parents were doctors and that kind of influenced him. JOLIETTE: I saw a picture of you at your wedding. He's gorgeous. ANYSSA: He is indeed. I think of all the times I had been with Susie, the most meaningful for me was me being there when she adopted Ellen. SERENA: Who? JOLIETTE: Who is she? COURTNEY: I remember seeing a picture of her. ANYSSA: Ellen is Susie's adopted daughter. JOLIETTE: How? ANYSSA: It's a very LONG story. Ellen was adopted out when she was a baby. For most of her life, she went by the name of Gina. She was the birth daughter of one of my cousins, Alicia Lambert. She adopted her out, and she had a good life with her adopted parents, but after her adopted dad died, her mother fell into some drug use. Gina, as she was called then, was spraypainting graffiti in a neighborhood of Somerset, Susie took her case, and for a while, she was her ward. Ellen met all of us in one shot when Susie came up for Christmas one year. COURTNEY: Wasn't she overwhelmed? ANYSSA: Not really. She took to everyone easily. She got on well with Dylan and Alex. VELDA: I talked with Susie and Ellen. I think they will be coming up for the holidays, and they are definitely coming up for Hannah's wedding. ANYSSA: That is good news. You will all meet them. JOLIETTE: We're on it. SERENA: Count us in. Mom is looking forward to meeting them too. COURTNEY: We're there for you, Nyssa. ANYSSA: Sounds wonderful, ready to have our lunch? (The waiter comes with their food, and everyone is enjoying their lunch.) Scene Seven Dylan's townhouse. ADAM: Who was that? DYLAN: Aunt Vel. She just called me to tell me that Susie, Patrick and Ellen are coming up for the holidays. ADAM: You mean both Thanksgiving AND Christmas? DYLAN: Yep. They want to come for Hannah's wedding; and they think it will be good for them to see the Fall Foliage. Anyssa and Bryan are talking about Ellen going with them to New Hampshire and Vermont to see them. ADAM: That sounds great. When do you think we should do that? DYLAN: I don't see why we can't do that this weekend, what do you think? ADAM: You mean that? DYLAN: It was aimed as a surprise for you, but you guessed it. ADAM: I am sorry, sweetie. DYLAN: It's all right. I took some time off from work, and the Harpers have a cabin near Newport, Vermont, I think we can do that, you think? ADAM: I am all for it. DYLAN: Well, then we can do that. ADAM: How long will we be gone? DYLAN: Not sure. Rosemary is coming back for Hannah's wedding. Mark, I am not sure if he's coming back. ADAM: Why? DYLAN: Rosemary called Dad last night. She said that Mark is looking to get a full time job down there. He's gonna live there, but he will come up here on occasion. ADAM: His friend hired him down at the bank there? DYLAN: Yes. Mark is taking the job, and he and Rosemary will divide their time between Florida and here. ADAM: So, Rosemary will still live here? DYLAN: Not sure. She's going to want to stay down there with Mark, when she can, you know. ADAM: That will be good. A change of scenery will do her good. DYLAN: She said Mark found a place for them in West Palm; and they are having her things moved from Dad and Wendy's townhouse down there. It will be so different for them. ADAM: True, but it will be good for her. DYLAN: Yes, it will. (Adam and Dylan sit next to one another, with their arms around her.) Scene Eight Top of the Hub. COURTNEY: It will be so wonderful to finally meet Susie. ANYSSA: I told her all about you guys. JOLIETTE: That is great. SERENA: I can't wait to meet the famous Susie. VELDA: You will all like her. She is a sweet woman. ANYSSA: I need to stop into the office, I managed to get today off, but you know, I have to make a visit to the husband. JOLIETTE: We understand, Nyssa. COURTNEY: How are we doing the check? ANYSSA: I already took care of it. You all linger a bit. I will be home later. Give me a call, any of you. (Anyssa bustles out) COURTNEY: She is so wonderful. JOLIETTE: She is a great friend. SERENA: I wish we could do something to help her. I wish that Susie lived closer to here, than in Somerset. VELDA: Well, my dears, Susie does have a job, and her life there, as well. JOLIETTE: I can't wait to see her. SERENA: I hear you have someone with their eye on you at the hospital, Jolie. JOLIETTE: Who told you? SERENA: You did. When you texted me. (The table laughs as they enjoy some more coffee and soda, thanks to Anyssa) Scene Nine On I-95 on the way to Boston. ANTHONY: I talked with Vivienne too. She said Aunt Wendy is married to Michael Harper. ANNA JAYNE: That is so great! I am so happy for her. ANTHONY: Me too. I felt bad stopping off in Allentown and telling Chip what was going on. ANNA JAYNE: Me too, but he took it really well. His classes in Allentown; working with your mom and aunt, and the fact is, that he loves Allentown, makes it hard for him to leave. ANTHONY: I told him that he has a room with us at our house. ANNA JAYNE: He liked that. ANTHONY: Ready to continue on? ANNA JAYNE: Yes, we are. (The two share a quick kiss as they pull out of the parking lot and continue on their way.) Scene Ten Suffolk County Courthouse. JUDGE FITZSIMMONS: I have looked over all the evidence. I don't agree with the plaintiff's case. There was NO hint of evidence that Amber Wellston had intended to hurt Bethany Arthur. The evidence points, however, to Bethany wanting to DELIBERATELY hurt Amber. I don't believe the story that Amber shoved Bethany in the path of the bus, but I know Bethany pushed her. Amber grabbed Bethany's shirt and it was AMBER who was hit, and injured. Not Bethany. Miss Arthur, I am more than saddened by your attitude towards Amber Wellston. Therefore, Miss Arthur, your case is dismissed; and Miss Wellston, your parents will receive the judgment of $5000 for your medical bills. Court adjourned. (With the sound of the gavel, the judge leaves the bench. While the parents discuss payment options for Amber's medical bills. Bethany is furious, and she storms over to Amber.) BETHANY: I may have not won here, Wellston, but mark my words, I will make your life in school sheer HELL! Let me warn you now! I will DESTROY you! You think I did you a lot of damage before? I will make what I have already done to you look like a cake walk! You will SURELY pay for this insult on my character! I will see to that, dear! DO have a nice day! (A furious Bethany storms out of the court room. Amber is shaken, Violette comforts her friend.) VIOLETTE: Don't you worry about her. I will see that she is stopped. (Amber collapses in Violette's arms. The scene fades) Category:Episodes